Pensieve Moments
by Queriusole
Summary: Lupin Tonks, Black. Sirius keeps stumbling across an old pensieve. Tonks tries to find a way to get Remus and Sirius out of a deadly cycle of memories. 5 Ch posted. COMPLETE!
1. Wizard Whip

Summary: Lupin Tonks, Black. Sirius keeps stumbling across an old pensieve. Lupin and Tonks help him deal with the memories as Christmas approaches.  
Set in December, Order of the Phoenix. I'm just playing with the wonderful characters created by JKRowling.

**Pensieve Moments**

Remus Lupin clearly had a bounce in his step as he made his way up the stairs to his room at Grimmauld Place while a cold December wind whistled outside. The pink envelope he carried in his hand was obviously a honey note from a certain Auror who was currently out of town on a mission. Unlike Howlers, honey notes kissed you sweetly and dissolved into a sparkle of confetti. So up he went with his spirits quite high despite the dismal nature of his current abode.

Until he heard the voice.

"No, stop it! Stop hurting him! Please!"

"Sirius?"

Lupin rushed to his friend's aid with his wand drawn. His heart began to beat wildly as several questions flashed through his mind. Who was with Sirius? And who was attacking? How had Order Headquarters been breached? The thoughts ran through his head as quickly as the fear that he was about to lose Sirius.

He could hear Sirius pleading again and his voice was now breaking. Lupin almost ran by the open door because it was in a place that had never had a door before. A room of requirement at Grimmauld Place? He got to the doorway and froze.

Lupin could see that Sirius was kneeling in the middle of the dimly lit room, but there was no sign of an attacker. His friend was clearly in distress, however.

"Sirius?" Lupin kept his voice quiet and he saw Sirius stiffen when he heard his name called. "Sirius, who's attacking you?"

Lupin stepped closer while Sirius remained quiet. His eyes scanned the room for any sign of hostiles hiding in a dark corner. Another disturbing thought loomed in his mind: Sirius had truly gone mad. He spoke again, his tone a bit indulgent.

"Sirius, is someone with you?"

Sirius could only shake his head, but it was clear he was trying to regain control. As Lupin approached, his height gave him a vantage point that clearly indicated the source of the dim lighting. Sirius was kneeling in front of a pensieve.

Lupin dropped to one knee by Sirius and put his arm around his shoulder. "Whose pensieve is it, Padfoot? Yours?"

Sirius shook his head, but was finally able to speak. "My father's. Kreacher was hiding it."

Lupin frowned and peered into the pensieve. It took only a moment before he was practically carrying Sirius out of the door as he rose and backpedaled away from the vile image.

"Damn it, Sirius, you don't need to relive that!" Lupin sounded furious, but it was all directed at the elder Black. Had the man emptied his thoughts just to torture his son from beyond the grave?

Lupin waved his hand to seal the door as Sirius slumped against the wall of the hallway now. Neither man took note of the house elf who was slinking away.

Lupin tried to control his breathing, then sat down beside Sirius who was now rubbing his knees a bit anxiously. He could barely hear Sirius when the man began to speak.

"Snuffles. The dog was the real Snuffles."

The information made Lupin feel sick to his stomach and he, too, now felt like the eight-year old boy he had seen in the pensieve. He got control and prayed that getting Sirius to talk it out was the right thing to do. "He was your dog?"

"He made this snuffling noise all the time, big nose you see. Everything I knew about canine behavior came from having him as my constant companion."

"I'm sorry, about the way you lost him," said Lupin. "Your father was cruel to force you to witness that."

"The worst of it was that he did it just to show off that he'd mastered the damned wizard whip incantation," said Sirius. "Can you imagine what Snuffles felt like, feeling it ripping into his body?"

Lupin swallowed a bitter laugh, but couldn't help but touch one of the scars marring his face. They were a lasting reminder of a Grandfather's disgust at his lycanthropy and a man who was a master of the wizard's whip. "The pain would be excruciating."

"I couldn't get close to Snuffles again until he was dead. It was the first," Sirius caught his breath and felt Remus pulling him close. "It was the first time I truly understood death."

"How did you find the pensieve?" asked Lupin. "That room has never been accessible before."

"Dunno, just stumbled onto it today," said Sirius as he drew a deep breath. "You sealed it well?"

"Don't go back to it, Sirius. You don't need to relive those memories." Lupin's voice revealed his concern, and he held Sirius' gaze until he nodded.

They remained quiet for a moment until Lupin looked at the floor and realized he'd dropped the honey note. He reached for the pink envelope surreptitiously, but Sirius, now looking for any distraction, noticed the maneuver.

"What's that?" His voice held an innocent inquisitiveness.

"This? Uh, well, it's just a note from Tonks," admitted Lupin. Why did he suddenly feel like they were back at Hogwarts? Of course, back then he wouldn't have gotten a note from a girl.

"That's not just a note, Moony, that's a honey note!" Sirius seemed to be gaining some pleasure from needling his friend, so Lupin gave in to the teasing.

"I suppose it could be," he said evasively.

"Well, let's see it. The last time I saw her as a child, Tonks was trying to get the spell right," said Sirius as he rubbed his hands.

Lupin felt his interest perk. "Really?"

"Ten years old and she had discovered boys were more than just nuisances. Unfortunately, I was the guinea pig for her trials."

"Wait. Ten-year olds aren't supposed to do magic," said Lupin. He pointed a long finger at his friend. "You were corrupting a minor."

"And I suppose you're immune to her puppy dog eyes?" asked Sirius.

"You have a point there," agreed Lupin. "So, what happened?"

"Well, it," Sirius began chuckling, "and then," he sniggered some more, then his mirth grew into an infectious laughter.

Lupin joined in, although mostly from relief that Sirius wasn't upset about Snuffles anymore. He managed to ask, "What? What did she do?"

"Let's just say that Tonks was a natural for incendiary charms," said Sirius. "You remember the last time we were all together at Christmas?"

"Yes, it was Harry's first Christmas. I remember how radiant Lily looked when she was holding him up so he could see the fairie lights on the Christmas tree." Both men nodded at the memory and a wistful smile appeared before Lupin continued, "You came in with a singed beard and burnt smelling hair, then gave us some cock and bull story about fighting demons."

"The demon was named Nymphadora Tonks and her weapon was the honey note." Sirius shook his head. "Poor thing didn't know whether to be upset that she couldn't get it right or impressed by her ability to get such huge flames."

Sirius then patted Lupin's shoulder and said with greatest sympathy, "I feel for you, mate."

"Tonks has managed to get the honey note right," assured Lupin with a smile. He opened the note and said, "See."

Sirius' barking laughter rang through the corridor as soon as the explosive pop sounded. He pointed to Lupin's face, now covered with soot from the quick flame and burnout that had consumed the envelope.

The wisps of gray smoke rising about Lupin's ears added to his mirth so that soon Sirius was clutching his stomach in glee. He croaked out, "She's burning for you, Moony."

"Oh, shut it, Padfoot," said Lupin as he nudged his friend with his elbow. Sirius promptly fell over with laughter.

They could hear Tonks' voice now emanating from what was left of the note. "_Remus,__I'm not sure this will come out right since I'm in such a rush, but I should be back in London by the end of the week. I miss you terribly. And if I muck this up, well, I promise to make it up to you."_

The note then flamed again suddenly and left yet another layer of fine ash on the luckless recipient.

"I told her you were a besotted git," said Sirius through his chortles. "Be sot, be soot, besotted."

"Be quiet," grumbled Lupin as he offered the man a hand up.

Although his face was blackened, Lupin's heart was light. And if laughing at him served to distract Sirius from the pensieve, then it was worth the indignity. Besides, he intended to make sure Tonks was very consoling for her honey note mishap.

"But this talk of Harry and Christmas reminds me. I'm thinking of giving him some books that will help with his Defense club," said Lupin as they walked down the hall toward their rooms. The Professor was dusting off the soot from his hair as he walked.

"Really?" asked Sirius as he waved away the fine ash wafting his way. "Anything like the last book you gave me with the naughty pictures?"

"No! I intend to give Harry the three volumes of _Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts_. What do you think? I don't want him to feel like I'm trying to impose my curriculum on him. "

Sirius could imagine that Lupin would sacrifice his precious volumes to help Harry and the boy clearly respected Lupin's lessons. He cleared his throat before saying, "My godson should have freshly printed editions, Remus. Let me know when you can go shopping for the books and you can purchase them from both of us."

"Sirius, I don't need a handout," objected Lupin. "I do get a modest stipend for my work with the Order."

"I was asking for a favor, Remus, but if you won't oblige, then I suppose I'll have to send Dung out to do my Christmas shopping. He mentioned a new book he'd seen called _Scoring on the Quidditch Field_, but it wasn't about flying on a broomstick. Well, actually, there is a bit of that, too. That should grab Harry's interest, don't you think?"

"Fine, I'll select the books; you buy. Satisfied?" asked Lupin.

"I always get my way, Moony, so, of course. Besides, you intend to get something for Tonks this Christmas, don't you? Or have I misread your intentions towards my little cousin?"

"I've got something in mind," admitted Lupin as they came to Sirius' door. "You'll be all right now?"

"I'll be fine, Remus. Go wash up. Charcoal is not your color."

Lupin gave him a salute and left Sirius to enter his room. The heir of the noble house of Black closed the door and rested against it for a moment. The images from the pensieve came to his mind again, but he pushed them away with a purpose. Then his eyes fell to the full bottle of fire whisky that was on the nightstand. Sirius licked his lips before he approached the bottle.

His attention was so absorbed on the alcohol that he didn't detect Kreacher skulking in the corner. The house elf had a horrible grin on his face as he watched the man open the bottle and take a quick drink. Kreacher was already planning the next time Sirius would stumble upon his father's memories. After all, he was only obeying Master's wishes. Sirius Black had ordered him to reveal his father's treasured possessions. Kreacher was steadfast in his loyalty to serving the noble and ancient house of Black.

_TBC_

Author Notes:  
This leads up to the events in December. Kreacher starts becoming a subtle player in things and Harry notices that Sirius smells like he's been drinking when they arrive at number twelve. I think 3 chapters will take me through this and I'll try to update as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading. I hope the shifting emotions made sense.

If you are new to the series, hit Queriusole and you'll find the list, but you can read this as a stand alone.


	2. Walk on the Dark Side

Summary: Tonks comes upon Sirius experiencing another memory in the pensieve.

**Pensieve Moments**  
_**Walk on the Dark Side**_

Nymphadora Tonks entered number twelve as quietly as possible. She grumbled about the poor timing since she found that Lupin was leaving London just as she was returning from a mission that took longer than anticpated. Still, the Auror had promised the Professor that she would check on Sirius Black. She yawned widely as she made her way up the stairs, but stopped when she heard an agitated voice.

She frowned as she recognized Sirius' voice. She followed quietly for it sounded as if he were speaking with someone. As she walked on, she realized a door had appeared where she had never seen one before. She fingered her wand and drew it as she walked forward.

"Sirius?" Her quiet voice fell in the darkness of the room. She could see a dim light in front of where Sirius was kneeling. Her query was ignored, but a few quick steps brought her further into the room where she changed her angle of approach. She soon detected the focus of his attention. A pensieve?

"Sirius, get away from there, NOW!" She called as much authority into her voice as she could muster. Any pensieve found in this house was likely to have horrifying memories stored in it.

Sirius seemed to move like a puppet as he stood up, but his eyes still fell on the pensieve. Tonks moved forward carefully and again said sternly, "Move away from it, Sirius."

"Tonks?" Sirius finally tore his eyes away from the pensieve. "Are you?" He seemed to scan her, then pointed to the pensieve, "But you were just a child."

Tonks was next to Sirius now, so she peered at the pensieve in spite of the alarms in her head warning her it would be a mistake. It took her only a moment to recognize her Aunt Bellatrix kneeling by a little girl as a man's voice spoke in the background. She could hear the mewling of kittens as well. The man's voice belonged to Sirius' father.

_"Quit wasting your time with the brat. She'll never have any power."_

_"No, I think we need to test her further. Come on, my pretty pet, try again. Make them go quiet, make them go still. See? I think you got one. See how easy it is. Now try another--"_

_"Get the hell away from her!" Sirius scooped up the little girl at a dead run. He turned with the child holding on to one arm while his other wielded his wand._

_Bellatrix' laughter rang out. "You have quite an interfering puppy there, Uncle. He can't be serious! Wait, it is little Sirius, isn't it? He's grown rather cocky, don't you think?"_

_The woman raised her wand, but then Ted Tonks' voice called out, "Run, Sirius! Get Tonksie out of here!"_

_Sirius began to run and at this point the four-year old Tonks was whimpering into his shoulder. The teenager turned to find Ted Tonks losing the battle, but not without a small victory. A green potion covered the malevolent pair and they were in clear distress as they began wheezing for breath and breaking out in a horrid rash._

Tonks couldn't look away from the image. As a child she had a bare memory of running into her aunt on that summer day. As an adult, she was disturbed by the games the two adults were playing with the child and horrified by what they had done to her father.

This time it was Sirius who realized the danger in viewing the pensieve. He grabbed her arm and shoved her out of the room. The door shut and disappeared with a shimmer. Tonks remained pale-faced and still as she leaned against the wall.

Sirius shook Tonks' shoulders and said, "It wasn't your fault, Tonks, it was mine. I was supposed to watch you at the Black family reunion, but I got distracted."

Tonks turned to Sirius and blinked. "I killed it, didn't I? The little kitten. They were trying to..."

Her voice dropped off at the thought and she shook her head before she clutched Sirius' arms. "My father! They're the reason Pops is so addle brained, aren't they? I thought it was just the Muggle drugs."

Sirius flinched at her discovery. He couldn't look Tonks in the eye as he admitted, "Ted was just recovering from the Muggle drugs when this happened. It was such a waste. He was a brilliant potions master, you know."

Tonks nodded. "If it weren't for Pops I never would have gotten my NEWT in Potions. He remembered enough to tutor me during weekends. What was that potion he threw at them?"

Sirius released a long breath before replying. "It was a work of genius. Remus says even Snape couldn't have made such a potion when I hypothetically described it to him. The potion burned their skin and induced an allergic reaction in them if they touched you again. Oh, yes, they tried to get you away from me that day until they realized the effect. Ted was always a bit of a goof, but your father did the best thing he could to protect you, Tonks."

"At the cost of his mental stability," sighed Tonks. "Why didn't anyone tell me about this before?"

"Andi cast a little obliviate spell on you because Ted asked her to when he was recuperating. But now you know." And you know how I failed you, thought Sirius.

Tonks closed her eyes and struck her head lightly against the wall. "You know, part of me is glad Remus wasn't here to see this, but another part of me wishes he were here. "

Sirius smiled as he said, "If Remus were here you'd be too busy making up for that disastrous honey note you sent him."

"What? Don't tell me I flamed him!" Tonks' voice held a note of dismay.

"I'll have you know that you've singed me in worse ways when I was a guinea pig for your honey notes," said Sirius defensively. "And you were never contrite about that."

"That's because you were just my darling cousin, not my darling, uh, darling." Tonks shook her head. "I'm not making sense anymore. Let's call it a night and take it up in the morning."

"Fine by me."

"Sirius? Do you think I'm cruel at heart? Do you think I'm just fooling myself and that--that I'm really like Bellatrix?"

Tonks voice sounded quite young to him at the moment. Sirius took her hand in his and patted it gently. "No, Tonks, you are not like Bellatrix. Granted, I think we both are capable of performing vile acts, but the important thing is that we recognize them as that. And we have people like Remus who help us out when the line gets fuzzy."

At that moment, the portrait of Mrs. Black began ranting as the front door opened. Sirius and Tonks scrambled down the stairs and Remus Lupin was quite surprised when the witch practically flew at him with a leap off the railing.

"You're back!" she cried as she hugged him while Sirius went to deal with the portrait.

"But not breathing. Could you ease up a bit there," asked Lupin.

"Sorry," said Tonks sheepishly as she settled for a quick peck on his chin.

Lupin nodded, but kept his arm around her waist as he spoke to Sirius. "The place was empty when I got there, so Dumbledore sent me home until further notice. I might get sent off at any time, though."

"Then you better get your rest," said Sirius. "Good night."

Sirius turned away to walk up the stairs, but Lupin was distracted by how much Tonks seemed to need to hold onto him. He rested his chin atop her head as the sense of belonging flowed through him. Still, Nymphadora Tonks was not a woman anyone would describe as a clinging vine. After a few moments, he asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"How about that I'm sorry I flamed you with my honey note," said Tonks into his shoulder.

She sounded so young and vulnerable that Lupin only indulged in a quiet chuckle. "I'll get payback, don't you fret. Actually, it helped distract Sirius from bad memories. He stumbled upon a pensieve--"

Tonks suddenly stiffened against Lupin and he responded by gently rubbing circles on her back. He waited patiently until she confessed, "Sirius found it again tonight."

Lupin glanced up the stairs, obviously surprised that his wards had not held. "I'll have to seal the room again."

"You won't be able to find it; the room vanished as soon as Sirius took me out of there," admitted Tonks.

Lupin looked at her sharply as the obvious conclusion arose in his thoughts. "Did you see something in the pensieve, Tonks?"

Tonks gripped his hand, but was able to meet his eyes. "Let's go up to bed and I'll tell you all about it."

"All right." He put his arm around her waist and they began walking up the stairs. "Do you think I should check on Sirius?"

"No, the memory had more to do with me than him," said Tonks. They entered Lupin's room without regret when they saw that Sirius already had his light out.

But in the darkened room, Sirius Black was taking another sip of the fire whiskey that had been so conveniently left for him by the house elf. A sense of failure filled him again as he saw his little cousin being taught to explore the dark side of magic. She was innocent, she had been in his care, but he had been too busy flirting with that Romei woman. The look of disgust on Tonks face tonight at her actions as a child had cut him like a knife.

And then there was Ted Tonks. His whole life had changed because of the carelessness of a teen-aged boy. Yes, Ted had to have come prepared with the intent to use the potion, but knowing the meek nature of the man, he probably had intended it as a last resort. Sirius took another drink, but couldn't obliterate the guilt.

Kreacher was as happy as a wretched creature could be by the effect the pensieve had on his Master. It had taken him a while to deal with the wards that horrid Werewolf had placed on the entrance, but now the pensieve was safe and undisturbed, just waiting for Sirius Black to stumble onto it again.

_TBC_

Author note: Sorry it's so short. Things have kept me busy and I didn't want folks thinking that I've abandoned the story.

The point of the memories is that Sirius is not directly attacked through magic. It's a psychological pain he has to deal with. I used this memory to set up more background for Tonks as well.

Thanks for reading. I know these memories are darker than the fluff I usually write. Be patient; there is a point to them.


	3. Love Betrayed

Summary: Sirius stumbles onto a memory of a lost love, but puts Tonks and Lupin in jeopardy.

**Pensieve Moments**  
**_Love Betrayed_**

Remus Lupin donned his flannel pajamas and crawled into his cold bed feeling disheartened. He had returned to number twelve after following another dead end on a mission for the Order. Sirius was already in bed, so he didn't seek his friend out to commiserate on his bad luck. But his disappointment was enhanced when he remembered the roster for guard duty tonight: Nymphadora Tonks.

The last time they had been together, he had just held her as Tonks relayed the memory she had seen in the pensieve. He was glad to offer her the comfort of his embrace, but now he was eager for more. He sighed and let his thoughts drift to bright pink hair, dark, bright eyes in a heart-shaped face, and a mouth that invited his kisses.

His door abruptly swung open just as he was dozing off. Before he could say anything, the woman of his dreams flopped backwards onto the bed.

"Oof."

"What the?" Tonks immediately turned to find Lupin sitting up in bed trying to catch his breath. She was in the habit of just falling onto the bed when he was gone.

"Remus? I thought you were away on mission," said Tonks. She quickly brought a hand up to rub against his chest.

"I thought you had guard duty," replied Lupin. By this time Tonks wasn't just rubbing at his torso, she was unbuttoning his shirt.

"Bill insisted on switching with me, so I came here to pout, but now," said Tonks as she kissed his lips quickly, "I think I'm going to play."

"No, I think you're going to pay. I'm not touching a woman who manages to literally set me aflame until she promises to take Molly's Honey Note Rehabilitation class." His stern tone had little effect on Tonks as she managed to push the shirt off of his shoulders.

"Really?" asked Tonks as she cocked her head to the side while seeing to her own shirt.

Lupin fell back against the pillow with his arms cradling his head. "Really."

"Then you'll just have to be passive until I agree to the class," said Tonks as she leaned over to kiss him. "Now let's see, Professor. Where should my apology begin?"

Two hours later, the woman still had a satisfied smile on her face as she slept curled in the man's arms. She rubbed her cheek lightly against his arm, but knew he was in deep slumber after her ministrations.

But her peace was interrupted when she jerked awake with a start. Her Auror training had kicked in as she realized someone was looming over the bed staring at them.

"You took her from me." The harsh whisper escaped from the man as he raised his wand to strike.

Tonks didn't scream nor did she plead. She automatically allowed her Auror to surface and guide her movements. Her feet swept out to kick the man's knees out from under him while she cleanly popped the wand out of his hand. She lost no time to reached for the wand under her pillow.

Lupin stirred when he felt the absence of the warm body. He barely registered the tussle as he moved to the edge of the bed and called, "_Lumos_."

The Professor leaned on one elbow while one hand held a ball of light. He blinked his eyes as he took in the scene before him.

Tonks, who was wearing his flannel pajama shirt, had a man on the floor with one knee grinding into his chest. His arms were pinned underneath his back while her wand was at his throat. Then a shadow drew Lupin's attention to the ceiling. Lupin wiped his eyes and tried to form coherent thought as the wand that was stuck in the ceiling began to totter.

"Tonks, why aren't you in bed?" Lupin managed to ask. His gaze fell to the man. "And what are you doing?" He leaned over the edge of the bed to peer at her victim before adding, "To Sirius?"

"I'm not sure this really is Sirius," said Tonks in a steely voice. "He was watching us sleep and was about to attack us with his wand."

Lupin was still too groggy to think straight, but said as he sat up, "No one can penetrate Order headquarters."

"So we think," murmured Tonks. She turned to the man and asked coldly, "If you're really Sirius Black, tell me what your nickname for me was during the Christmas when I was five."

The man blinked as if finally becoming aware of his surroundings. "Tonks? You--I called you, uh, Contrary Mary."

Tonks moved off his chest although she didn't lower her wand and asked, "Why?"

Sirius used the opportunity to move his arms into a more comfortable position before replying. "Mary is your middle name and, and you spent an entire afternoon saying nothing but no until I gave in and took you to Fortescue's for ice cream. And in the middle of winter! You ate a triple chocolate sundae all by yourself. Of course, you wore half of it on your face."

Tonks lowered her wand but remained kneeling beside him. "I forgot about that. Mum thought it looked like one of her facial masks."

"I think we have the real Sirius Black here," proclaimed Lupin as he set the ball of light to float above his shoulder. He grabbed at his robe to cover his bare chest as he swung his legs to sit on the bed. "Sirius, what are you doing here?"

Sirius was now sitting up and lifted his hand to catch his wand just as it fell from the ceiling. He shook his head and asked his own question. "What are the two of you doing here? I thought you were off on that mission and that Tonks was on guard duty tonight."

Tonks scuttled back onto the mattress beside Lupin and said, "Bill switched with me. Fleur's parents are in town tomorrow, so he pulled duty tonight."

"And I was sent on another empty chase," explained Lupin as he brought an arm around Tonks and rubbed her shoulder. "We thought you were asleep, but I wager you were staring into the pensieve again, weren't you?"

Sirius bowed his head and breathed deeply. The door had shimmered into existence and he had been staring at the pensieve for hours by his estimation. All he admitted to was, "Yes."

"It's affecting your behavior, Sirius," said Lupin firmly.

"If I hadn't tempered my actions, you'd be at St. Mungo's by now," added Tonks.

"Thanks for being gentle with me," said Sirius a bit sarcastically as he rolled his shoulder. The pixie he had watched as a child was quite lethal now.

"You were raising your wand to cast a spell at us," explained Tonks. The way Sirius winced at the image made her voice gentler. "You mumbled something about taking her away from you."

Sirius and Lupin both looked taken aback by this revelation, but Sirius covered his face with a hand. He said a name that Lupin recognized, however. "Madeline Faust."

"Madeline Faust? She was a Slytherin, right, about a year behind us? She transferred from Hogwarts? I don't remember her there in Seventh year," said Lupin. "Did you fancy her?"

"I didn't just fancy Madeline, Remus, I loved her." Sirius voice sounded hoarse as he admitted this. A sardonic laugh escaped him. "And she was perfect--although, James didn't like her."

"Neither did I, come to think of it," said Lupin. "You got together with her on summer holiday? Didn't your family approve?"

"Oh, my father couldn't have been more delighted," began Sirius. "In fact, he was so enchanted with Madeline that when I actually invited her to the noble house of Black for the weekend, he seduced her."

"But she couldn't have been more than fifteen," said Lupin. He shuddered at the thought.

"Believe me, she was a willing partner. Her parents decided to have her finish at Drumstrang rather than let her continue the affair with Father." Sirius released a sigh. "And I decided I'd rather live in James' backyard than come back to this house."

"I'd have thought the old hag wouldn't put up with your father's philandering," said Tonks, referring to Mrs. Black.

"Mother was fifteen years older than Father, you know, so she never cared as long as he was seducing purebloods. He was a handsome enough fellow at forty. Good looks run in our family," said Sirius as he tried to regain his arrogant demeanor by tossing his head back.

"Stealing a child's lover seems to run in the family, too," murmured Tonks from her own experience in competing for men with her mother. She brought her legs under the blankets and curled her arms around her knees. Lupin just rubbed her back in understanding.

"Madeline had been using this guest room. I suppose I got so caught up in the pensieve, I lost track of where I was--and when I was." Sirius stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry, both of you."

"Sirius--"

Tonks called his name, but he just shook his head and turned his back to them. He was out the door before Lupin could even think to follow, so the man just fell back onto the bed with a great sigh. "I'm really worried about Sirius now, Tonks."

"So am I, Remus," she said as she took his hand. "We need to get rid of that pensieve. I won't let Sirius suffer any more from those memories."

The Professor nodded grimly. "Obliterating a pensieve is no small thing. First you need to tag Sirius so that we know when it appears again. Then we'll have to invade the memory to break the pensieve from the inside."

Tonks swallowed as she considered what the next memory in store would be. "Can we do it, though?"

"Sometimes being _venificus primo_ has its advantages," murmured Lupin as he brought her close for an embrace. "Working together, I think we can."

"Thank you," whispered Tonks. She added softly, "I love you."

"I love you, Nymphadora Mary Tonks." Remus kissed her gently then asked, "Why don't you use the name Mary?"

"It's such a common name," began Tonks.

"So is John," he said.

"I like the name John," said Tonks.

"And I like Mary; it's quite lovely."

Tonks smiled as she leaned against him. "Mary was the name of Pops' mum, but every aunt and female cousin on his side of the family is named Mary."

"You're joking," said Remus in disbelief.

"No, it's true. Pops has four sisters: Mary Catherine, Mary Margaret, Mary Elizabeth and Mary Patricia."

"And they all named their daughters Mary?" His tone was still skeptical.

"Mary Lynne, Mary Anne, Mary Jane, Mary Pat, Mary Lou," began Tonks in a singsong voice, "Mary Ellen, Mary Beth, Mary Joan, Mary Kate, Mary Sue--no, wait, there is no Mary Sue yet." She tapped a finger to her lips, "Mary Sue would have been me except for my Mum's intervention. Did I mention that Pops' side the family is Roman Catholic?""

"Aha, so I suppose that Tonks became the easiest way to distinguish yourself amongst all these Marys?"

"Pops and the rest of his side of the family could never quite get Nymphadora right. He'd pronounce it Nimfa Dora instead of Nim Fadera. I don't know what Mum was thinking when she named me."

"Just avoiding a Mary Sue, I guess," offered Remus. "Tell you what. How about you sign your notes to me from Mary."

"That means you'll get a lot of Dear John letters," quipped Tonks as she settled against him.

"I can live with that. Let's get some rest. Dealing with the pensieve is going to be a challenge."

Tonks settled against him and clasped his hand as his arm curled around her again. Together she was confident they could remove the pensieve and save her cousin's sanity.

TBC 

Author Note:

We were having a discussion about Tonks' middle name over at David Thewlis online. I decided that Mary was the best match for John, but had to come up with a reason for avoiding the name in favor of Tonks. So, the Tonks family background was born. And, yes, I couldn't resist playing with the Mary Sue name. Please take it with the humor that was intended.

The memory in this chapter was an effort to explain why Sirius remained gun shy of committing to a woman as he grew up. I know I've painted his father very darkly, but I think it falls within the realm of the Blacks. I also thought seeing his father steal his girlfriend would be the last straw before Sirius leaves his house.

On pronouncing Nymphadora. The website on the Harry Potter Word Wizard actually has audio pronunciations. They don't have it yet for Nymphadora, but in the written pronunciation key they place the accent on the second syllable, not the third that would emphasize the -dora, so I'll use that. However, if you prefer it that way, I am not going to argue until I hear it in the movie.

Thanks for reading. I have this story in hand and only two more chapters that I intend to post in a few days. They are almost done, so there shouldn't be much delay in finishing the story.


	4. Cuts Like a Knife

Summary: A gruesome memory might provide the fuel that Tonks and Lupin need to destroy the pensieve.

**Pensieve Moments**  
_**Cuts Like a Knife**_

_Hogsmeade  
Three Broomsticks_

"Thanks for meeting with me, Professor McGonagall," said the old woman with the iron gray hair as she stepped out of the floo. She spoke to the tabby cat that waited patiently on the table. The cat sat like a sphinx, then quickly morphed into the Transfiguration Professor.

"It was kind of Rosemerta to arrange this," said McGonagall as she walked over to the tea set that had been left for them. They were in Madam Rosemerta's parlor above the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.

McGonagall continued as she poured the tea. Her voice sounded incredulous as she asked, "Did I read your message correctly, Tonks? You and Lupin intend to destroy a pensieve? You realize there could be valuable information there."

"It's warping my cousin's mind," countered Tonks immediately as she accepted her cup and settled into a chair.

"Well, that, my dear, is a matter of argument. Twelve years in Azkaban doesn't promote mental stability." The Professor sipped at her tea thoughtfully. Her gentler tone belied the severity of McGonagall's words, but she prided herself in being direct.

"Then it's more important that we eliminate any further threat to his sanity," argued Tonks. "And if Sirius becomes unstable, what's to keep him from seeking out Peter Pettigrew or others to avenge James Potter? He'd be a hostage that Harry Potter couldn't resist."

"Why not just confiscate the pensieve and seal it?" asked McGonagall.

"It only appears when Sirius is most likely to be alone," said Tonks. She leaned in to add, "I'm not sure what's making it accessible. I wonder if, well, if his father didn't cast a spell for it to appear if Sirius ever came back to Number Twelve. The room it's in sort of shimmers into existence, like a Room of Requirement."

"There could be something to that," agreed McGonagall. "How will you know when Sirius has his next encounter with it?"

"I've tagged Sirius with a Stalker charm so that we know when the pensieve appears again," said Tonks. She pulled out the smooth stone she held in her hand. Lupin had a similar one that would grow cold to the touch when it was activated.

McGonagall nodded, but then said, "Remus Lupin will be challenged to destroy the pensieve even under optimal conditions. He's a powerful wizard, but his lycanthropy might tarnish the purity of his magic in the pensieve. It's unfortunate his line doesn't extend back to the Roman wizards."

Tonks missed her swallow of tea and began coughing. Lupin's _venificus primo_ status was not something open for discussion. Instead she assured, "I'll be there with him to help."

"Yes, I hear the two of you have become a very effective team," said McGonagall without insinuation.

Still, Tonks could feel a blush creeping up the elderly face she wore. "We know that the Shadow charm will be the best way to enter the pensieve. That level of immersion will allow us the corporeal form we need inside of the basin to call the Implosion spell."

"Yes, that would be best. I remember you being quite adept at transforming into a shadow, " said McGonagall with a quirked eyebrow. Nymphadora Tonks was a natural at transfiguration. "Do you remember anything about the runes on the bowl of the pensieve?"

"We were so intent in getting out of the room that we never had time to inspect them," replied Tonks as she shook her head. She felt quite incompetent at not having kept her head in the situation.

"Each pensieve has a character of its own and in certain cases, well, it can even develop a power of its own. Those created with Dark Magic demand to be fed, almost like a Dementor. It becomes a web of thoughts and the magic is fueled by the strength of the dark emotions contained within the memories it has collected."

Tonks took a deep breath as she accepted the information. "Remus said we had to gauge the right moment to break the pensieve or we'd be ineffective, that it had to become intense."

"The intensity of the emotion is necessary to drive the Implosion spell," confirmed McGonagall with a nod. "I would assume that as this is the Father's pensieve, the emotion you're looking for is anger. Don't judge the situation by what you're feeling or what you think is disturbing Sirius."

"What are the consequences of something going wrong? I need to know what could make us abort this mission," explained Tonks.

"The memory vortex instigated by the implosion will likely draw out memories from anyone physically near, especially the invaders like you and Lupin. If the drain is too strong, you could wind up at St. Mungo's," said McGonagall. As she sipped her tea, she muttered, "And in the same ward as Gilderoy Lockhart."

"Now there's a motivation to succeed," said the Auror.

"There is also the danger of actually getting caught in the memory vortex as the pensieve collapses. A pensieve made from Dark Magic will act defensively in an effort to reassert itself. You could become suspended in a mnemonic cycle. You need to be prepared to face some intense memories of your own before you can break free of it."

"Like when Remus was bitten," murmured Tonks. Or his first transformation, she thought. Then she gasped, "What if we enter a memory that has a full moon? Will Remus transform if he's in the pensieve?"

"No, no it's like seeing a paper moon," assured McGonagall, "Although I'm sure the image will be very disturbing to him."

"Any last words of advice?" asked Tonks.

"Keep your head clear, Tonks. Remus and Sirius have a lot of history. If they draw you into one of their shared memories, it'll be up to you to pull them out."

Tonks blew out a deep breath, then gasped as she touched the signal stone. "It's happening again! I've got to run. Thanks for the advice, Professor."

The Auror was in the floo before McGonagall could set down her tea cup. She pursed her lips and mumbled, "I hope it's only like a paper moon..."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_London  
Number Twelve Grimmauld Place_

Sirius Black had made a promise, but it fled his mind as the door to the room suddenly shimmered into existence. He didn't even have to reach for the doorknob for it to swing open and reveal the now familiar glow from the pensieve. Soon he was looking into the memories of his father.

Tonks and Lupin maintained their disillusionment charm as they approached the shimmering doorway. A quick wave of his hand stabilized the entrance, but rather than walk in, the two figures chanted, "_Umbra effusio_."

Two shadows could be seen extending into the room until the light of the hallway lost them in the depths of the darkened chamber. The shades crept along the floor until they approached the pensieve. Then two streams of shadow flowed up the bowl and seemed to bleed into the pensieve.

Sirius Black was too immersed in the memory to notice, however. He was staring at the stark beauty of the night scene in the pensieve.

_It was a winter night and young Sirius Black was taking point as the party tracked their prey. The nine-year old boy called over his shoulder in excitement. "Here they are! I see tracks!"_

_The party hurried forward and a man's voice said, "Looks like you'll have your hide tonight, McNair."_

_"That I will, Mister Black, and a big one, too." The smile on the face of the Ministry's Executioner was particularly vile._

_"There it is!" yelled the boy excitedly._

_The wizards followed, but left no tracks to mar the trail of their prey. _

Lupin scanned the scene for signs of Tonks as his form emerged in the pensieve. He didn't realize he was holding his breath until he saw the brief flash of pink hair in the moonlight. Unlike the viewer, he and Tonks had actually entered the memory at the edge of the woods.

But then a new fear arose in Lupin as he looked at the night sky of the memory. It was a full moon! He felt the familiar prickling of his skin and the stretching tension begin at his mouth. Then he heard her voice.

"It's just a memory, Remus. It's not real; it can't affect you."

"I can feel it! I need to get out of here. You need to get away from me," whispered Lupin harshly.

"No, your eyes aren't changing, your limbs aren't extending. It's just conditioning, Remus."

Lupin forced himself to take a full breath and soon his hands were patting his body to ensure he wasn't transforming.

"Want me to frisk you?" asked Tonks. She managed to insert a suggestive tone into the whisper, but it served to relieve the stress. She soon added, "I met McGonagall at Hogsmeade today to ask about penetrating a pensieve in case something like this happened." She pointed to the moon and said, "It's like when you meet a Boggart, Remus. It's just an illusion."

Lupin looked at her sharply, then said in all sincerity, "I'm glad you're more than just a pretty face."

"Well, this pretty face was ready to chant the homorphus charm and drag you out of here if need be," admitted Tonks. "Feel all right then?"

Lupin looked up at the full moon for a moment and felt Tonks slip her hand into his. His voice almost sounded surprised when he whispered, "It's beautiful."

She squeezed his hand quickly and said, "We better catch up to the hunt."

Lupin scanned the ground out of curiosity. Were the wizards hunting a Magical creature or a Muggle one? He soon found the tracks. "It's a wolf hunt."

The tone of his voice made Tonks cringe. She could only hope it was a Muggle wolf.

_The scene went by in a flurry of images as several wizards converged on the Wolf. It stood as tall as a man, but the wizards who were hunting it were powerful. Soon the Wolf was tangled in the charmed steel net cast by a tall man. McNair wasted no time dispatching it. _

_"Better skin it while you can, McNair."_

_Sirius turned to the man's voice with a question. "What's the rush, Father?"_

The men around the boy just laughed at his naiveté. The boy watched as McNair saw to his task with strokes that bespoke his experience.

Tonks heard Lupin draw in his breath as they watched the men in the hunting party. She knew it must be painful for him to watch the scene, but she was shocked when she heard his words.

"It's my Grandfather. The Wolf Hunter with the net; it's him," he murmured. Lupin's hands were clenched into fists at his side.

Tonks scanned the men and saw a tall man at the perimeter. He'd been the one to cast the net and set the binding spell on it. His faced turned and for a brief moment, Tonks could see the family resemblance. "Let's end this now, Remus."

"No, we need to wait until Sirius does something that makes his father angry. We need that emotion to drive the spell that will break the pensieve."

Tonks pressed her lips together as she remembered the same admonition from McGonagall. What could be worse than watching this butchery?

"Won't you let me help?" asked the boy.

"Go ahead, McNair. Let him have a go at it," said the boy's father. "It's about time he showed some backbone. I expected he'd be too weak to last through the hunt."

"I can do it," assured the boy with false bravado.

"No, Sirius, don't," whispered Lupin as he watched the boy eagerly take the knife.

Tonks couldn't speak, but she felt the tears streaming down her face as she bore witness to the scene. They needed to end this soon. When would Sirius realize the true nature of the hunt?

_McNair watched with approval as the boy executed a number of fluid strokes before taking the knife back. "You've picked up a taste for it, I see. Maybe you should train to be an executioner when you grow up?"_

When the deed was complete, McNair held his trophy and laughed in delight as the others joined in, even Sirius. The Wolf Hunter moved forward to chant a preservation spell on it. The night was drawing to a close as the party walked away.

Lupin's heart felt his stomach turn as he again found his Grandfather's face. He couldn't bear to look at Sirius at the moment. Then Tonks tugged on his sleeve and said, "Look, it's coming, I think. We need to be ready."

_The first streaks of dawn fell on the killing field. The boy Sirius turned one last time to look. The blood drained from his face and his mouth opened in a horrific scream that resonated against the tranquil dawn. His father slapped him sharply in anger, but the screams wouldn't stop._

The father's rage at being embarrassed yet again by his son held all the energy Lupin and Tonks needed to cast the spell to destroy the pensieve. Together they raised their wands and called, "_Memoria recido_!"

Sirius Black could hear the spell being chanted as he peered into the pensieve and saw a whirlpool form around the figures in the scene. But he could also feel the torrent as it began to pull memories from his very mind. He wanted to believe he would never hurt Remus Lupin, the Werewolf who was his friend, but his memories revealed the truth. There was a night when he had hunted Lupin with one intention: kill the traitor. The silver threads flowed from his head with ease, but each tendril was like the approach of a Dementor for him.

Inside the pensieve, Lupin used all his energy to dampen the memories of his transformations. But the presence of his grandfather in the hunt fueled the heartbreaking memory of the wizard whip. The loathing filled him, as did anger at how the lycanthropes were treated. Now, part of that anger was directed at his oldest friend, the boy who had wielded a knife. The tumultuous emotions roiled around him as another memory surfaced: the night he had let himself be used as bait so that he could kill Sirius Black.

Tonks was caught in a maelstrom of emotion as dark memories were pulled from her. This pensieve, being created with Dark Magic, wanted to feed on them. It was easy to latch on to the hatred. She despised Lupin's grandfather for what he had done to Remus and for his role in the Wolf Hunt. She was angry at Sirius' father, the man who had mentally tortured her cousin, a man who would be entertained by watching children tread on the Dark side of magic. She felt the wave of negative emotions washing over her and remembered too late McGonagall's admonition: Keep your head clear, Tonks.

The despair in the room belonged only to the humans present. The house elf who witnessed the event held a gruesome smile on his face. Sirius Black would suffer at the hands of the very people who wanted to help him! The half-breeds, the mutants, the vile shape-shifting creatures would also be eliminated! Oh, what wondrous luck he had. Kreacher's feet moved in a macabre dance that reflected his delight.

TBC

Author Note:

Any information about how the pensieve works is pure conjecture on my part. I thought it plausible that such instruments could be created through a variety of methods, one that would include a warped pensieve created by Dark Magic.

The _umbra effusio_ spell is not canon, nor is the _memoria recido_. Likewise I know of no actual Stalker spell or signal stone, although the latter is similar to the coins that Hermione charmed.

I actually worked at this to keep the tone down, so I hope none of you think the rating should be higher. There is a purpose in the wolf hunt because the important thing was that Sirius was able to understand the true nature of what had occurred.

And, yes, the story isn't over. The last chapter will describe the memory they have fallen into and resolve certain issues that developed. Should have that up in a few days.

Thank you for your patience. And will try to get a chapter up on Seducing a Nymph to make up for the intensity of this one, but after I finish Pensieve Moments.


	5. Mnemonic Cycle

Summary: Remus and Sirius are caught in a deadly memory unless Tonks can figure out a way to get them out.

**Pensieve Moments**  
_**Mnemonic Cycle**_

Kreacher opened his eyes to enjoy the work of the pensieve, but as the thoughts were being pulled from Sirius Black, he realized he had an advantage. Just a snap of his fingers would fling the young master into corporeal form inside the pensieve. Wouldn't a son be eager for such a close inspection of his father's instrument? Yes! He snapped his fingers.

Black felt himself being pulled into the pensieve by the threads of his thoughts. His immersion became as complete as Lupin's. In the meantime, Lupin closed his eyes to try to focus his thoughts. It was the only way to stabilize the situation, although it meant the pensieve would not be destroyed. In the back of Lupin's mind was a blot of pink that oddly left him with some hope of getting out of this situation.

The men opened their eyes in synchrony and scanned the scene of their shared memory. Oddly, it had the effect of being in a dream where you watched yourself. It was a memory of a day at dusk that held each man's perspective clearly for their witness to see.

Tonks felt the vortex ebbing away as the scene crystallized. The two men were taking corporeal form inside the pensieve. It was dusk and she recognized the place as known as the Brimham Rocks. She understood the significance of it for her cousin. That's where he had been captured. But where was Lupin? Had she lost him in the vortex? She could only watch as the scene played out and hope that it would shift to Lupin's memory. Then she saw her cousin and realized this had to be someone else's view as well. Did Lupin watch his old friend be captured?

_Sirius Black looked majestic as the wind swept the black robe around his lithe body. The natural grace of his gait was evident as he strode across the moor toward the large formation of rocks. His trim beard accented his handsome face and the chin held a familiar arrogant tilt, but the eyes were void of emotion. _

_"Remus Lupin, now why would you run away from an old friend?" taunted Black. He didn't think Peter Pettigrew had acted alone in destroying James and Lily. Lupin had to be behind it all; he was the smart, cool- headed one. The sense of betrayal cut into his soul. A lethal tone entered his voice when he added, "You knew I'd come for you, you coward!" _

_A man emerged from the shadow of an odd rock formation called the Druid's Writing Desk. _

_The man held little resemblance to the mild mannered Professor that most of them knew. The clothes he wore looked more like rags draping his gaunt body. His hair was long and the full beard obscured his face except for his eyes. Those orbs were cold and deadly as he faced his old friend._

_"Yes, I knew you'd come, Sirius," said Lupin hoarsely. "For once in your life you're going to finish a job, aren't you?"_

_Black only responded with his wand. The energy flared forward, but Lupin deflected each volley that was sent his way with power of his own. The two men relentlessly cast spells and counter-spells, but neither one gained an advantage._

"They know each other too well," whispered Tonks as she watched in trepidation. This must be the mnemonic cycle that McGonagall had warned could happen. But if the men were in corporeal form, would they survive a vicious cycle of battle? The environment wasn't real, but the spells would be, as would any physical contact between the two. She had to keep a clear head and find a way out. Tonks forced herself to focus on the duel again. Was the memory vulnerable?

_The duel carried the men to the Idol Rock formation of the Brimham Rocks. Lupin suddenly aimed the wand in his right hand in one direction while he cast a different spell with his left hand. Black swerved to avoid the spell cast by the wand, but was caught by the ricochet of the spell Lupin cast using wandless magic. _

_Lupin held the advantage as Black fell to the ground. Lupin stood over Black, but a look of sorrow suddenly filled his face. He knelt by his old friend and said, "I can offer the mercy of a quick death."_

_Black spat at the man. "That's what I think of your mercy, you wretched creature!"_

_Lupin closed his eyes for just a moment, but Black used that instant to kick at Lupin's weak knee. The man fell back in excruciating pain and found Black had his wand against his chest. The deadly intent was clear._

_"I don't offer any mercy, Remus. I want to make sure you suffer pain," said Black as he called a cruciatus curse._

_When the first wave of agony ebbed, the man's voice held no rancor. In fact, Lupin emitted a bitter laugh before saying, "Pain is nothing new to me, Sirius, and it's nothing compared to the loss of James and Lily."_

_Black slapped the man sharply across the face. "How dare you say their names!"_

_"I would have died before betraying James and Lily," said Lupin wearily. He sounded tired of living and exhausted of emotion. "I always thought you would have done the same, Sirius Black."_

_In the next moment, the moor was filled with the chants of from the Wizard Hunters and the scene faded._

As Tonks watched the scene, she wondered how Lupin had survived this encounter with her cousin, but in the next moment, the mnemonic cycle began again. She clutched her head as she felt the pensieve's need to weave her terror into the scene, but this time, Tonks didn't give in to the despair.

"You are an Auror. Your duty is to protect," she told herself. "Protect those you serve. Guard the ones you love." She opened her eyes and forced herself to watch the scene again as she realized she did have one advantage in this dark creation of the pensieve. "Guard the ones you love."

Tonks held onto one thought. She would not lose these men she loved to this Dark Force. The pensieve wanted terror, anger, despair and guilt. But she would not give in to those negative emotions. How to break a cycle? By adding a new element into the motion, throwing a nut into the gears as it were, but that was her speciality.

"You've gone mad, Tonks," she told herself, "but one nut coming up!"

The duel had carried the men to the Idol Rock formation again. She could see Lupin was still mobile, but favoring his injured knee. She knew she had to be patient and insert herself at the optimal moment or Sirius could kill both of them. She waited until Lupin had the advantage and prayed his injured knee wouldn't be the event that broke the cycle.

Tonks sighed in relief as Lupin again stood over Sirius Black with that sorrowful expression. But this time, a streak of pink swept across his vision as Tonks interceded.

"Remus, you love him. This is just a memory. Hold on to that and we can break this cycle!" cried Tonks as she as she threw herself between the men.

The flash of recognition raced across Lupin's face as he watched Tonks take Sirius by the hand.

"You have to help us, Sirius. This memory is the illusion! Remus Lupin is precious to you; don't destroy him!"

Sirius blinked as the face of a grown up Nymphadora Tonks loomed above him. What was he doing? Where was he? He looked behind her shoulder at Remus Lupin as the illusion of the memory began to fade. The man's hair shortened and the beard fell away to reveal the concerned face.

Sirius blinked. "Tonks? Remus, I'm--"

"No, don't let dark thoughts touch you," she whispered as she helped Sirius stand.

"We can end this now, Sirius," said Lupin as he put his arms around their shoulders. He understood now how to succeed in the spell that would destroy the pensieve. "We can break this pensieve if we focus on the thoughts we'd use to call our Patronus."

Sirius and Tonks nodded firmly. They closed their eyes and retrieved the memories that had built their bonds of trust, friendship and love.

_"Memoria recido!"_

The vortex whirled around them again, but Tonks began to sing as the trio bent their heads together. The men could hear the melody in her smooth low tones while the tempest howled around them in an effort to reassert the pensieve.

But Tonks had chosen her song well and she could soon hear the men's laughter as they joined her for a repeat of the verses. The Hogwart's School song had rarely been sung with such harmony--and to a single melody.

Their times at Hogwarts had been amongst the happiest for them all and, although Tonks had been there a decade after the Marauders, she had bright images in her mind of stories Sirius would tell her of his adventures. The three humans standing together resembled one of the Brimham Rocks' formations. They remained solid against the tempest that swept around them. But like a rock in the storm, the power of the pensieve just surged then fell away and collapsed into itself.

Looking into the bowl, Kreacher was shaking his head, then clutching it as the pain began to tear through it. The magic of house elves was different than that of the human wizards and witches. Moreover, he did not have the power to manipulate three such powerful beings when they worked in concert. He felt the implosion of the pensieve just before he popped out of the chamber to seek his sanctuary.

Slow cracks began to appear on the basin of the pensieve. The first rune was torn asunder, followed by the adjacent symbols. Soon the bowl splintered into shards as three adult humans seemed to emerge out of the remains.

The three were breathing heavily, but Lupin maintained the presence of mind to chant a lamina spell to shield them from the falling shards. The shell protected them as Tonks led them out the door. Once through the doorway, the entrance also collapsed with one last shimmer.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Alastor Moody stomped into number twelve Grimmauld Place. The portrait of Mrs. Black began ranting, but Moody just snarled at her and said, "Shut it, you old bag!"

Apparently his tone and magic eye were sufficient to silence Mrs. Black today. Now that she was mute, the old Auror could hear the chorus of a very familiar song. Merlin's beard, they'd all gone mad!

"Hello the house!" called Moody.

"We're up here, Mad-Eye!" The announcement was followed by a giggle.

"I know that, you daft girl. There's so much magic lingering about you that I spotted you as soon as I entered, not to mention the howling you're doing now," grumbled Moody as he made his way up the stairs. He peered at the trio cautiously as he inspected them.

Sirius Black had a tangled mop of hair, Nymphadora Tonks looked like she'd put her hair up a vacuum hose and Remus Lupin had obviously injured his bum knee again. Moody shook his head and said, "Lupin, can't you stay hearty and whole for just one month?"

"Uh, I think my lycanthropy pretty well limits that," replied Lupin with a smile. "Did the Headmaster send you?"

"I told Albus I'd check up on the puppies," confirmed Moody. "Why were you singing the Hogwarts' song?"

The trio just laughed and, although each took a turn trying to explain, no one could get out the full explanation. Moody became exasperated and said, "Fine. Black, you take Lupin to his room and see to that knee. Tonks, you debrief me while you make some tea for us."

Tonks stood up pertly as she and Sirius helped Lupin to his feet. "Mad-Eye, you actually trust me to brew tea?"

"Right, what was I thinking?" said Moody with a nod. "I'll make the tea while you debrief. Come on."

Tonks tried to regain her composure as Moody prodded her down the hall, but she did turn and wave to her companions as if they were still students at Hogwarts with two going to the infirmary and the other offering the explanation for their mischief. It was a memory all too familiar to each one, so another burst of laughter rang in the corridor.

"I might need to alert St. Mungo's," muttered Moody as he poked Tonks in the back with his wand to get her to quit waving to the men.

Fifteen minutes later a sobered Tonks had explained the events that had lead to the destruction of the pensieve. She squirmed a little as she considered whether to ask a question of Moody. Even if he hadn't been there, he was likely to know.

"Mad-Eye, what happened exactly when Sirius was captured at the Brimham Rocks? The memory never showed the Wizard Hit Squad that was sent after him." Tonks bit her lip, but she wanted the complete story now.

Moody sat back as if considering what to tell her. He cleared his throat and finally explained. "The Wizard Hunters put surveillance on Lupin thinking to use him as a bait for Sirius Black. He was the only one left of that circle of friends, so Lupin would either help Black or be his next target."

"So they weren't going to protect Remus, just use him?"

"A werewolf would be acceptable collateral damage, Tonks," explained Moody. "And Lupin knew full well what was happening. He didn't want things to end like they did with Peter Pettigrew with all the innocents killed, so he lured the parties involved to the Brimham Rocks. The Muggles wouldn't be out on that cold day."

"But Sirius got there before the Wizard Hunters," said Tonks.

"Lupin has a knack for manipulating a hunt," responded Moody. "And make no mistake, Tonks, at the time, he wanted to kill Sirius Black. But, if he failed, he knew that your cousin would be trapped at the Brimham Rocks and that the Wizard Hunters would find him."

"What happened? Sirius was about to kill Remus when the memory faded," said Tonks.

Moody sat quietly for a moment, but his magic eye was spinning as if the memory was still something that pre-occupied his mind. "We came upon them as Black raised his wand against Lupin. I think Lupin must have told him something that made him hesitate. Then stunning spells were flying at them, mine included, but some of the Hunters were enthusiastic about using other curses."

Tonks swallowed as she understood the implication. The Hunters would have license to unleash some formidable curses.

"I finally put a stop to it and walked up to where the bodies were lying." Moody took a deep breath. "I found Sirius Black had fallen over the body of Remus Lupin. At the time I thought it was Lupin's luck."

"But it wasn't luck, it was friendship," said Lupin as he walked in leaning on his cane with Sirius at his side. They had listened to Moody relaying the details to Tonks before entering. Lupin slid into the seat beside Tonks, treating his knee gingerly, while Sirius took the seat at the head of the table.

"In that second before I would have killed Remus, I realized that he wasn't a traitor. When he said he would have died before betraying James and Lily, I saw the truth of it in his eyes." Sirius then added, "I felt the first stunning spell and deliberately fell so I would cover Remus. from any more"

"You bore the brunt of the curses?" asked Tonks, but Sirius just shrugged.

"I was hit by several stunning spells and would have been too drained to protect myself," admitted Lupin as he squeezed her knee gently. He looked at Sirius and said, "That was the part of the entire episode that puzzled me for almost thirteen years. You see, Sirius Black the Murderer should have put me in harms' way and used me as a shield. But Sirius Black, my friend, he would have protected me."

Tonks released a huge sigh, "If I hadn't witnessed it, I wouldn't have believed it."

Sirius waved his hand and said, "It's all water under the bridge now."

The moment was broken by Mrs. Black's screeching voice, "How should I know where that blood traitor is? Nothing can be urgent if his attention is needed..."

"I better go see what it is," said Sirius as he rose.

Moody stopped him and offered his flask, "Here, better take a nip before you deal with her."

Sirius took a large gulp of the fluid before walking out. Moody put the hipflask back while Tonks leaned into Lupin's shoulder. She closed her eyes and murmured, "At least it's over. It's been such a long day I feel exhausted."

Lupin just squeezed her shoulder and began grilling Moody about his knowledge of pensieves. The two were engaged in quite an academic argument when Sirius walked back into the room with an ashen face.

"Sirius, what's wrong?" said Tonks as she sat up alert and ready.

"It's Arthur Weasley. He's been attacked while on guard duty at the Ministry," said Sirius. He continued to brief them on the information at hand.

As soon as Sirius finished his report, Moody stood up immediately. "Up with you, Tonks. We need to check this out while the trail is fresh."

"Has Molly been informed? Is anyone with her?" asked Lupin as he also rose.

"You best go, Remus," said Sirius firmly. "I'll be fine."

Lupin and Tonks shared a concerned glance, so Sirius quickly added, "I've got to get ready for company, now go."

Lupin walked to the floo leaning heavily on his cane with Tonks by his side. "Go to my flat once Molly can go to St. Mungo's. You'll need to rest."

"Right," said Lupin. He looked over Tonks shoulder to note the other men were averting their gaze and kissed her quickly. "Thank you, Nymphadora. Good luck."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

An exhausted Nymphadora Tonks slipped into her bed in the early morning hours. The night had been a frenzy of activity, but two arms dragged her into his embrace, so she smiled.

"How's the knee?" she asked sleepily.

"I'll be using my cane until Christmas. Sirius knows all my weak points," murmured Lupin as he nuzzled her hair. "Find anything?"

"Nothing definite. We cleaned up signs of Arthur's presence in front of the door. Moody found some scales with his eye, but not enough to patch together a trail," Tonks yawned widely.

"I won't be able to escort the Weasleys to St. Mungo's to see Arthur," said Lupin with a sigh. "The healer said I better stay off this knee for the next three days.'

"Hm, looks like you'll be my captive. Don't fret, though. I'll be gentle." He could feel Tonks' grin as she kissed him. Then she added, "So, how was Molly?"

"Molly was a rock. It's odd how she can be so distressed at the illusion of death, but when it's at her doorstep, she's a model of courage. She kept a cool head. Reminds me of someone."

Tonks felt his embrace tighten around her and let the warm feelings flow into her. It was the only way to fight the darkness.

_The End_

Author Notes:

My version of how Sirius was captured and role Lupin played in it. I'm sure I'm not the only person who's offered a similar scenario and if I veered from canon a bit, then please leave it to creative license.

I love the Hogwart's School song, so I thought it would be effective. Hope the rescue wasn't too corny, but at least, I had fun writing it.

The intent was to set up events leading up to the Christmas Holidays. Now I need to update Seducing a Nymph with a chapter, then get onto the real seduction.

Thanks for being patient and reading. Fluff next time.


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